Finished with DIY

freddie1970

I have just decided I'm finished with diy ...I have just finished fixing the plumbing upstairs and it feels like a whole beautiful summers day wasted..Working monday to friday with 2 hours commute a day and then expected to spend the whole weekend fixing stuff in the house ..

Don't get me wrong I'm not lazy ..i would just prefer to spend the hiking or doing stuff with the young fella ..I'm just so tired of people saying a sure why don't u do that urself ..Im happy to do my share of chores..but it just seems to me that every weekend a room needs painting of shelves need to get put up ..whats point in it all if u are spending week working only to come home and spend the weekend working at home ...sorry thats just my rant over anyone else feel like that ?

Ubbquittious

Finish with commuting instead, then you can concentrate on the DIY during the sh1t days. Much better plan than becoming a useless blob who can't even unclog his own jacks

BrianD3

Tradesmen are a pain the arse to deal with and €€€€ so it's very good to be able to DIY essential work (leaks etc.) However if you are constantly painting or putting up shelves there is an issue. Is there a nagging woman on the scene?

Strumms

There is a serious shortage of tradespeople in every sector..the ICTU and government both determine…

so you’ll be waiting longer as I’ve experienced just to get tradespersons…

then you’ll pay top dollar because of the lack of competition….which in one case I’m having to.

appledrop

I think you need to review your circumstances.

First of all is there anyway you can get a job closer to home or be able to even work a day or two a week at home?

This would reduce your daily commute and give you more time.

I do realise it's not possible for everyone, I can't do it for example and like you normally have a long commute but my husband is now mainly working from home + it has made a difference.

The 2nd thing is you shouldn't be spending all your spare time doing DIY at home. Hiring someone as others have said might be difficult at moment so you need to prioritise.

I doubt your house it falling apart so no need for all that work!

My husband like yourself can do anything around the house he is brilliant but the reality is we have a 5 year old and newborn so really the bare minimum gets done around the house at moment because time with kids is more important.

Plumbing is a priority but the world won't end if a shelf isn't put up.

I'm presuming you have a partner, I think its time to sit down and talk things through.

Tomorrow is meant to be another fab day, please spend the day with your son making memories and forget about the house.

CrookedJack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058245868/finished-with-diy

I think the others are missing the point when they suggest you somehow reduce your commute - I agree with you. No more DIY. If you ever find me unclogging my own toilet you know I've failed at life.

Why on earth would I work hard all week at a job I am good at, to then spend my leisure time as something I could pay someone else to do quicker and better.

Ignore them OP, it's just some weird vestige of 1950's machismo to think that doing your own home maintenance is somehow manly.

Jim_Hodge

I'll do minor DIY stuff but plumbing, major painting etc I leave to a skilled tradesman. I worked all week at my profession so I can pay them to work at theirs. When you've built up a relationship with trades people over the years it's usually easy enough to get them when you need them. Plus, they do it right and a lot quicker than I would. Life's too short to be messing about trying to do a job yourself that could be done easier and better by a professional. I value my time too.

Andrea B.

Great craic.....and now a dodgy back😐

freddie1970

Yeah you are right. I have a hour commute to work and back to work it is a good paying job moving closer is not a option. Just today was a headache trying to fix toilet upstairs . Im thinking now i could have enjoyed the cup final and went for a walk or that life is too short to be spending the day a this stuff ..

It seems to be a bit of a macho throw back alright.Going to have a chat with the missus today was my last day at that crap

Andrea B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119063031#Comment_119063031

Consider keeping it to 1 day a month or the winter days. No harm in letting the stuff build up on a to do list?

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119062922#Comment_119062922

the 'problem' for me is i'm good at painting (did it for a few summers while in college and i've a natural knack for cutting in anyway) so i'd probably do every bit as good of a job as a tradesman under time pressure. it's also a job where the stakes are low, compared to plumbing or wiring, say. and i've little experience with those, bar rewiring my shed.

My auld fella was a plumber, and he saw enough botched tiling, plumbing, and carpentry DIY jobs to do him a lifetime. Nothing wrong with doing a few jobs if you are handy at DIY, but leave the major stuff to the professionals.

ednwireland

Totally agree, same reason I have cleaner. Spend my weekends doing things I like.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119062962#Comment_119062962

Did the Super Q pack up?

Andrea B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119063690#Comment_119063690

Nah. With price of oil the returns of investment are fast with the condenser. It is 24 years old though, so probably only a matter of time + nice to get the boiler out of the house. Win, win

UsBus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119063031#Comment_119063031

Am in the very same boat as you. 2 hour commute to work. I now find every little job around the house a drain on me. I always loved DIY around the house and garden but the last 2 years commuting have absolutely drained me and made me irritable towards everything. The drive itself is manageable, it just wears you down thinking about it over time.

I'm getting myself organised for interviews for something local, I avoided it because I was weary of moving, but the stress of commuting is not good for you over time.

I would consider moving job closer to home if I were you as well. The time you save each week will benefit you enormously.

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119063701#Comment_119063701

How long will that take to pay for itself

Andrea B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119063930#Comment_119063930

I reckon max 3 years if oil prices stay same as today.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119063976#Comment_119063976

I thought those Super-Q's were supposed to be 85-90% efficient. So if you have 10 in your house it would become "free" to run one of those rads after the upgrade

Andrea B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119064039#Comment_119064039

I am a bit lost?

The flue is p#@£ing out heat on super Q, which a condenser boiler recycles. From what I understand, the condenser is 30% more efficient.

cj maxx

Never give up on DIY. What are you going to do with all the tools you've collected?

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119064175#Comment_119064175

This is true. What comes out is probably a few kW worth. Similar to what you'd get out of a large double radiator. The new one should be a lot better but 30% would be stretching it, those super Q's were quite good when they came out. If you see a 30% improvement then your super Q probably wasn't running that great

Andrea B.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119064344#Comment_119064344

Sure we'll see, but the age and getting it outside is a ++ anyhow.

Ray Palmer

Funny I got so frustrated with tradesmen I took time off work to do DIY. I am an IT day rate contractor and it was cheaper for me to do it myself and actually better quality. Lots of trades now do cover up work rather than deal with the tricky bits. I really thought of quiting work for a 6 months to do more stuff but then another company offered me a contract with more money. I enjoy it but don't have kids so I can see why it doesn't appeal.

The things is if I find it so expensive to hire trades and I can work out as a trades rate being half of mine paying a trade for others must be way reverse so a days trade labour is eqivilant of a week or more of your own labour.

For one job I bought a 2nd hand jack hammer for €90 and did it half a day and tradesmen quoted me €1500 and said 3 days. Now I have the jack hammer I was able to do several other jobs as the last owner concreted so much of the back garden.

Still stihl waters 3

Anyone on here talking about doing DIY and not getting a trade, if you're able to save money then you're better off doing them yourself, but don't be fooled in thinking tradesmen go around all day doing DIY jobs that other people can't, how many diyers will fix a burst water pipe, replace a ceiling, reslab and plaster, you may do it better than some tradesman but maybe youre just unlucky with the class of tradesman you're hiring, diying is essentially a handy man's job which any monkey with half a brain and a half way decent box of tools can pull off, putting up shelves and fixing a leaky tap makes you useful around the house as for painting, any tool can repaint an already painted room, if you can pìss you can paint

Flinty997

Can you test this with a monkey and video it.

MakersMark

The relentless dumbing down of men continues!

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119066953#Comment_119066953

Lots of traditional skill has left the trade and modern equipment mean it is a lot easier to do significant work as a DIYer. Dealing with tradesmen I find a difficult job is the ones they turn down or try to take shortcuts. I get it they want to make as much money as possible while they can.

BTW I fixed a burst water pipe more than once

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067008#Comment_119067008

You're in the minority, not many would chance fixing a pipe, but if you can save money by doing jobs yourself then why not, but a lot of DIY jobs are simple

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067033#Comment_119067033

Qualplex is very simple. If you show somebody most could learn within a hour

Ush1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067008#Comment_119067008

Plus never been easier with YouTube.

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067045#Comment_119067045

Not every house is plumbed with qualpex nor every leak in a ceiling or easily accessible place, as I said DIY is easy, the day you get stumped it becomes a professionals job

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067008#Comment_119067008

I know an electrician who's left the trade , he was a particularly good tradesman but got a pain in his bollix with people saying they could get someone to do the job at half the price and then ringing him to fix fcuk ups.

His wife's family drove him crazy , wanting all sorts done for nothing, at all hours of the day.

The electrician is me.

Still stihl waters 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067046#Comment_119067046

Very true, a good place to start

NSAman

Ahhh Jaysus lads, all this commuting sitting at a desk…and no DIY? Sure tis no wonder yer piling on weight. Bit of exercise, save a fortune and happy wife happy life.. 😀

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067099#Comment_119067099

what do you do now?

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119067254#Comment_119067254

Homeless services, social care.

Furze99

I dunno, there's a simple pleasure to be had too in just installing, fixing and making things. These people who say they earn good money and are happy to pay someone else top dollar, have less rounded skills.

As long OP as you don't feel you need to do it all the time.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068076#Comment_119068076

Fair play I worked with social services systems. It was too distressing eventually for me. It takes a strong spirit. People have multiple skills and you have a rare one there

Hyperbollix

The greatest skill any man can learn is to play down his DIY skills. My cousin is very handy. Married a woman with 5 sisters, none of their husbands could hit a nail on the head. His life is an endless procession of DIY!

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070109#Comment_119070109

See my post about the electrician.

Ubbquittious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070109#Comment_119070109

I hope he gets to at least "have a go" off the sisters now and then in return for doing all those jobs. Those husbands would have no right to complain

GalwayMan74

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070109#Comment_119070109

I've never told my neighbors I'm an electrician.😂

Dial Hard

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070109#Comment_119070109

The greatest skill any person - man or woman - can learn is how to say no, tbh.

swimming in a sea

I can do most straight forward jobs myself as have been around the trades all my life although my day jobs is sitting on my ass. I hear what the OP is saying as I spent the weekends of nearly 2 summers doing up the house, i know i've saved a lot but i should have been having a good time with family, so from now on i don't do any work at the weekend but i'll still try to get some jobs done in the evenings.

Flinty997

As above I spent half my life in or around the building trade. Do some DIY but when time is short I will pay someone else to do something and get it done quicker. Used to do more but wanted to spend time with kids sports and things like that. I like DIY but don't like doing it when I can't take my time and do it right.

Moved to the countryside from Dublin a few years ago.

I've amazed myself with DIY, a chicken run, 1/2 veg garden, 100 trees in my field, garden arch, painting, flooring but I got the professionals to sort out plumbing and electrical work.

Some things just aren't worth the hassle.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119066818#Comment_119066818

All about tools and time really. Though I say that as someone who's had to strip a wire to re-plug it using nail-clippers. 😅 I happened to buy a phone repair kit (has everything for most laptops too) recently for under a tenner. Stuck a 20 quid battery in an old phone, good as new but will just be used around the house mostly. Having the proper tools (and the ones required for contingency) and no pressure to get it done and a lot can be done just fine.

Apiarist

I love DIY, and have tons of tools. But I will never do plumbing (again), not much enjoyment in dealing with leaky pipes in difficult to reach places. Making a bee hive or a garden fence is another matter -- nice clean wood, smells great, looks great :)

Hyperbollix

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119075213#Comment_119075213

Yeah. I enjoy being single too!